Leading agency for healthcare innovation, InnoScot Health will be celebrating World Intellectual Property Day this Sunday (26 April) and is urging others to champion its role in inspiring fresh, well-secured ideas

Protecting intellectual property (IP) rights — patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright — is critical for demonstrating novelty and potential impact in healthcare, while empowering entrepreneurs by protecting the value in their ideas.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) believes this annual campaign “offers a unique opportunity to join with others around the world,” sharing how IP is enabling “the technological innovation that drives human progress”.

WIPO further insists that Sunday will highlight the role intellectual property rights “play in encouraging and rewarding innovation and creativity while ensuring that researchers, inventors, businesses, designers, artists, and society benefit from it”.

This year’s World IP Day places its focus on sports — a theme which heavily overlaps with healthcare technology, wearable health tracking, and the data which monitors health analytics.

InnoScot Health believes that it is an alignment which continues to connect with the ongoing need for innovation-driven improvement in health and wellbeing through safe technological advancement — an area in which IP will always have a role to play.

Innovation Commercialisation Manager Fiona Schaefer said: “Sunday is an opportunity to bring to the fore the vital role of IP in protecting groundbreaking ideas developed across NHS, industry, and academia, and securing the very foundations of healthcare transformation.

“World IP Day is also a great platform for praising the invaluable contributions made by innovators to progressive healthcare across the globe.

“We cannot stress enough just how crucial it is for Scotland’s health innovators to protect their novel ideas early and seek out the right support to do so.”

Without ownership of the IP in their invention or creation, anyone can use and adapt that idea without asking for permission or adequately compensating the inventor(s).

Protecting IP is crucial especially when generating ideas collaboratively, to secure the interests of the parties involved.

It is also one of the key offerings from InnoScot Health, ensuring appropriate protection for commercial negotiations, with skilled, experienced individuals able to advise and provide support throughout this process.

Over the years, InnoScot Health has protected healthcare with IP in its many forms including a mix of patents, trademarks, copyright, and design rights for over 255 inventions.

Furthermore, 2026 marks the 150^th anniversary of the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)’s trademark registry which provides legal protection for brand names, logos, and other marks that distinguish goods or services.

The anniversary highlights a strong legacy of UKIPO protection, with over 2.5 million trademarks now registered.

Fiona added: “This milestone anniversary just goes to emphasise the historically trusted nature of IP protection with 200,000 trademark applications in the last year alone which is truly remarkable.

“It’s worth remembering that trademarks can complement and outlive patent and design protection, as long as trademark renewal fees are paid.

“For us and so many others, it allows for the support of a continuous evolution in improved patient outcomes thanks to innovative healthcare brands remaining protected.”

Last month, InnoScot Health issued a general call to help inspire those working across Scotland’s ambitious healthcare sector who may have innovative concepts or ideas which they aim to develop further with the help of expert assistance.

It is particularly reaching out to early-stage healthcare entrepreneurs, including those in their final year of training or first year of qualified practice, whether they are nurses, doctors, midwives, allied health professionals, scientists, or other specialties. The call — scheduled to close on Thursday 30 April – may also appeal to industry (e.g. SMEs) and student entrepreneurs.